{"id":8248,"date":"2024-04-27T09:58:38","date_gmt":"2024-04-27T14:58:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/?p=8248"},"modified":"2024-04-28T14:43:31","modified_gmt":"2024-04-28T19:43:31","slug":"intervalic-awakening-modney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/intervalic-awakening-modney\/","title":{"rendered":"Intervalic Awakening: A Conversation with Modney on ‘Ascending Primes’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Prime numbers – whole numbers greater than one that are not the products of two smaller whole numbers – are something of an enigma. While primaility has been under human consideration since at least 1550 BC, there is still a general lack of clarity about these numbers. While generations of mathematicians have formulated equations to analyze the relationship of numbers, no one has successfully created a simple formula that separates primes from composite numbers. Theorists have noticed two things that only further deepen the mystery surrounding prime numbers. The first, Goldbach\u2019s conjecture, states that every integer greater than two can be expressed as the sum of two primes. The other, the twin prime conjecture, holds that there are infinitely many pairs of primes that differ by two. The point is that even as people have studied prime extensively, an aura of mystery remains surrounding them. And, from that aura, a hue of exoticism as well. This aspect of prime numbers ties directly into the recording by violinist Modney – formerly known as Josh Modney – Ascending Primes<\/em> (Pyroclastic, 2024).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modney\u2019s latest project plays with the concept of primality in two ways. First, there is the instrumentation itself. Across the double album, the size of the ensemble expands from one prime configuration to another. The first piece, \u201cAscender,\u201d features the bandleader by his lonesome, albeit with the assistance of a distortion pedal that makes it sound as though more musicians are in the room. From there, the work expands to a trio, a quintet, a septet, and, finally, an undectet of eleven. Each additional artist comes from the same transtylistic New York community that, like Modney himself, straddles some undefined space between the improvisational crux of jazz and the compositional virtuosity of Western classical music. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second way prime numbers enter into Ascending Primes <\/em>lies in Modney\u2019s composition of each piece. The bandleader\u2019s practice has been heavily informed by Just Intonation, structuring pieces based on whole number ratios between frequencies. In this case, he advances the intervals by prime numbers. The approach is likely to sound \u201coff\u201d or \u201cunusual\u201d to the average listener, who is more accustomed to the Equal Temperament regime which generally rules Western music. This perception of the work being outside the commonplace perfectly reflects the mysterious nature of primes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As theoretically heady as the album may seem, one cannot overlook the severe physical and emotional depths that Ascending Primes<\/em> imparts upon its listeners. For instance, at some points on \u201cEverything Around it Moves\u201d, the quintet contrasts threads of consonance and dissonance in such a powerful way that it makes you feel like you are being jostled and tossed around. Similarly, the tension in the four-part septet suite, \u201cFragmentation and the Single Form,\u201d continually builds but quickly turns to white noise and release. The album, taken as a whole, emphasizes the juxtaposition of different extremes, taking the listener along for the ride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Modney\u2019s name may not be as well known in some experimental music circles as others on Ascending Primes<\/em> – for instance, Anna Webber<\/a>, Nate Wooley<\/a>, or Cory Smythe – the record makes clear that he is a composer and performer on the rise. Though, to be fair, his experiences with the International Contemporary Ensemble, the Wet Ink Ensemble, George Lewis, and John Zorn should also make this evident. We sat down with Modney to discuss Ascending Primes <\/em>and the power and mystery of prime numbers.  <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PostGenre: Going back, what first got you interested in Just Intonation and alternative tunings?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Modney:\u00a0For my undergraduate studies, I went to Ithaca College. At the time, I was interested in contemporary music and was friends with many composers. Those friendships are what truly got me deep into\u00a0contemporary\u00a0music. My friends exposed me to\u00a0the works of many\u00a0Twentieth and Twenty-First Century composers, which I found fascinating.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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